Stay Tuned : What’s new for October

September like the summer, has flown by. Autum is now here, so let’s take a look at some new pop culture releases.

ALBUMS

William Patrick Corgan – Ogilala

Available October 13

If that name seems weirdly familiar to you, it’s because it’s the full name of Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan. This will be his second solo record, and by the sounds of the first single ‘Aeronaut’, will be nothing like the fuzz-laden heavy rock group in which he made his name. Corgan’s inimitable voice seems to be the only link to the Smashing Pumpkins; the sparse, piano-led melody is beautiful, and a promising sign for the rest of the album. Corgan will soon be on tour to promote his new record, and will perform in Toronto on Oct 20.
Julien Baker – Turn Out the Lights

Available October 27

When Julien Baker and a university friend put together her debut LP Sprained Ankle in 2015, the assumption was that aside from family and friends, it would go unnoticed in the underworld of Bandcamp. Two years down the line, Julien has toured all over the world, performed with almost all of her favourite emo bands of yesteryear, and at long last, has a new album on the way. No one breaks your heart quite the way Julien Baker does, but there’s a beautiful comfort in that; her music is like a warm hug from someone who truly understands why you need one. There’s sadness, but there’s also a vein of hope, and her lyrics have a complicated take on everything from faith to mental health that goes well beyond her age. I haven’t yet stopped crying over her first album, but I’m already crying over her second.

Julien Baker is also on tour, and will be performing in Toronto on October 24.

NETFLIX ORIGINALS:
The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson

Available October 6

Marsha Johnson was a pioneer cultural icon for the LGBTQ+ community, supporting everything from Stonewall to AIDS activism over their lifetime. David France’s documentary was screened in April at the Tribeca Film Festival, and reviews suggest the documentary will offer an unflinching look at the persecution faced by the transgender community in 1970s New York (even amongst LGBT circles), and how that resonates today.Mindhunter (Season 1)

Available October 13

Netflix has done well for itself by playing off our morbid curiosity in sinister figures, and David Fincher’s new series seems to continue that trend with a focus on the psychology of serial killers. The series, co-produced by Charlize Theron, is based on the book of the same name by former FBI agent John Douglas, which details some of the most high profile cases he worked on during his career. Fans of Making a Murderer will likely feel right at home with this series.Stranger Things (Season 2)

Available October 27

Do I need to explain why this is a good thing? Last year, Stranger Things was quickly recognized as among the best Netflix had to offer; killer soundtrack, a premise worthy of a Spielberg film, and the single greatest performance of Winona Ryder’s career are just some of the reasons everyone has been dying for more. There are a lot of questions to answer; will we see Eleven again? I mean of course we will, but how? What’s going on with Will and the Upside-Down? Why did Nancy get back together with Steve? I’ve been itching to find out for a while now, and even with the new series in sight I’m still mad I had to wait this long.

FILMS:

Blade Runner: 2049

Available October 6

Oh boy. This is exciting. So exciting that not even Jared Leto’s involvement can bring me down. Us nerds have had plenty of sci-fi handed to us by Hollywood in recent years, but none of it has even attempted to strike the same tone as 1982’s Blade Runner. The only thing that might have would be a sequel, and finally someone had the guts to do it. Denis Villeneuve, who proved his worth last year with Arrival, and by the looks of the trailer, he has the aesthetics of Ridley Scott’s original perfectly down. Even Hans Zimmer’s score sounds reminiscent of Vangelis’ eerie synth nightmare. I’m totally up for it. Don’t let me down, Ryan Gosling!

An anime prequel to the film, Blade Runner Black Out 2022, from Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe, is available to stream on Crunchyroll right now. In addition, the Landmark Cinemas at the Pen Centre is holding a one off screening of the original 1982 Blade Runner on Wednesday October 4.

Happy Death Day

Releasing on October 13

Ever wish Groundhog Day was a little darker and a little stupider? Neither did I, but the trailer for Happy Death Day makes it sound like that’s the way it should have been all along. The premise sounds like enormous fun: girl wakes up on her birthday, gets murdered at the end of it, then wakes up… on her birthday again. By the looks of it, it’s willing to have a lot of fun with that premise, and with the same talent behind it as The Purge, it’s hard to see what could really go wrong.

Suburbicon

Releasingon October 27

This looks like fun. Quaint, 1950s town descending into chaos at the hands of a mob? Yes please. Matt Damon trying to balance revenge for wife’s death with his day job? Sign me up. Directed by… George Clooney? Um, sure. The trailer for this film has been popping up before almost every film I’ve seen over the last few weeks, and I keep enjoying that trailer more than any of the films. It was also written by the Coen Brothers (of Big Lebowski and Fargo fame); I should have opened with that, really, that’s all you need to know.